Parish church St Saviour

An 1840 drawing of St Saviour Parish Church, which is one of the 12 parish churches of Jersey; it is on St Saviour's Hill a short distance above Government House

Name

The full dedication is to St Saviour of the Thorn. The parish emblem of a crown of thorns and some nails recall the Saviour's suffering. These symbols are gold, on a background of red. The name is first mentioned in the Memoires de la famille La Cloche written in the 17th Century.

Architecture

The church existed at least as early as 1087 and is stone vaulted with a tiled roof. It has a central tower with a bettlemented parapet and a stair turret. There are three gargoyles of Chausey granite, a fourth having broken away. Inside there is a nave, north aisle, crossing, north and south transept, chancel and Lady Chapel. The vestry is in the south transept.

The striking lychgate was erected in memory of George Orange Balleine, Dean of Jersey from 1888 to 1906.

Lillie Langtry's memorial in the churchyard

Lillie Langtry

St Saviour's church is linked with the name of Lillie Langtry. She was born in the Rectory, and married twice in the church. She was later buried in the churchyard in the family grave. There is a bust of Lillie carved in white marble on a granite plinth. She is buried with her father, William Corbet Le Breton, Rector of St Saviour and Dean of Jersey, and her mother Emilie Davis Le Breton, nee Martin.